Automakers across the globe are in a frenzy to produce highly efficient, fuel saving vehicles that remain relatively inexpensive, yet still offering the modern conveniences and safety features consumers have grown to expect. While development on advanced drivetrains is going strong at almost every automaker, Japan's big four (Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda) realize that performance and efficiency gains…

Tokyo (Japan) - Japanese and South Korean steel mills have agreed to pay Brazilian mining giant Vale 65 percent more for iron ore under term contracts this year, setting the stage for other Asian steel mills to conclude similar deals. But industry sources said it was an open question whether Australian miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto would soon follow with a similar agreement. Term iron ore prices had…

Nissin Kogyo Co. Ltd., established in 1953, develops, manufactures, and sells brake equipment for two- and four-wheeled vehicles. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation are among their largest customers. One of their main challenges is meeting crucial demands of such OEMs, including reducing the weight by using lightweight aluminum as an alternative without sacrificing performance and…

According to the statistics provided by the Japan Iron & Steel Association, the steel products orders booked by the domestic steel consuming sectors in April 2009 amounted 5.042 million tonnes, up by 19.1% MoM as compared to March 2009 and down by 33% YoY. Accordingly, total domestic consumption reached 2.783 million tonnes, up by 4.8% MoM and down by 42.5% YoY, meanwhile, exports totaled 1.762 million…

Japan Iron & Steel Federation said that Japanese raw steel output increased by 8.5% MoM to 8.311 million tonnes in August from July, 4 months in a row. The production reached 8 million tonnes for the first time since November 2008 when domestic integrated steel makers increase the output to meet higher demand for domestic automakers and manufacturers and export. The production was 18.3% YoY lower than a…

According to the data provided by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Japanese automobile production in January this year totaled 754,054 units, decreasing by 83,138 units or 9.9% compared to the same month of the previous year. January was the fifth consecutive month in which a year on year decrease was registered in Japan's automobile output. Domestic sales in January this year in Japan stood…

The Emsdettener surface technology provider, Agtos, has been taken over by the Japanese company, Sintokogio. The previous Agtos shareholders sold their shares to Sintokogio, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Andreas Bügener, the managing director of Agtos, told Wirtschaft aktuell, that the takeover was a strategic decision. The firm hopes to expand via new access to an international network. The…

Bloomberg reported that Japanese aluminium buyers look set to secure their first fee reduction from suppliers in a year as the economy continues to shrink. Aluminium fees have doubled over the last year hitting record highs on the back of rising premiums in Europe and the US but if this deal is signed off are expected to fall back by as much as 4% for the first 3 months of 2013. Demand for aluminium from…

Japan Aluminium Association's chairman Mr Masateru Yoshihara said that domestic aluminium demand in 2012 would be same level or slightly lower than around 3.8 million tonnes in 2011. He warned that the market increases uncertainty since late 2011 at New Year party of the association, Japan Aluminium Products Association, Japan Aluminium Alloy Refiners Association and national aluminium dealers' association.…

Reuters quoted trading house Marubeni Corporation said as imports dropped due to a slump in demand that Aluminium stocks held at key Japanese ports plunged to the lowest since records started to be kept 14 years ago. The trading house said that aluminium stocks held at the ports of Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka totaled 174,200 tonnes at the end of July down 16% from the previous month and 14% less than a year…